BMF Instructor tells of his PTSD recovery after Afghanistan tragedy

Many of you will have met Andy Hawkett, BMF Park Manager in Kent. Today he shares with us how Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) pushed him close to the edge and how exercise and BMF saved his life.

Andy Hawkett, 40, from Maidstone served for 12 years in the Royal Engineers before joining the Army Reserves in 2009. After seeing his colleague and friend step on an explosive device in Afghanistan right in front of him, father-of-two Andy developed a severe case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

He explains: “In 2010 I completed a six month stint in Afghanistan with the bomb disposal unit and whilst on a routine patrol, my comrade, who was walking in front of me, stood on a bomb, resulting in him losing both of his legs.

“When I returned from the Army in October 2010, I knew something wasn’t right. I was very angry, I could hardly sleep, I wanted to finish it all - it was not a good time. I would experience intense flashbacks, as well as cold and hot sweats, and I couldn’t hold down a job. I knew it was affecting my relationship with my children and I decided I needed to seek help and contacted my welfare officer. In December of that year, I went to the Army Reserve Centre in Chilwell and was diagnosed with PTSD.”

Andy, who now leads BMF sessions in Maidstone and East Kent, says his salvation was exercise. He said: “I went to a counsellor every two weeks and wasn’t sure if anything was changing. The breakthrough for me was exercise. It made the anger easier to control and I discovered a real passion for it. I knew I wanted this to become part of my profession and I started researching online and, in 2011, I found British Military Fitness. This was perfect for me as it still had a military aspect but also involved exercise, as well as helping other people. I contacted BMF and was put on a training course at the Head Office in London and haven’t looked back since.”

Andy continued: “Everyone from BMF has been so supportive. All the other instructors are ex Armed Forces so I felt like I had people I could talk to and who understood in some way what I had gone through. Working at BMF has helped me massively and I want to thank everyone for the support.”

Andy, who has been in a relationship with his partner, Michelle, for two years, added: “I do still have bad days and nights when I cannot sleep. I have not completely recovered from PTSD and am not sure whether anyone really does, however it has got so much easier and more manageable than I imagined. My partner Michelle helps me - she knows how to deal with it. Also, if I start to feel angry, I will go for a run; exercise is truly my salvation.”

Andy is also a member of a network called the Band of Brothers, set up by Help for Heroes, which provides life-long support to those with a career limiting/ending injury or illness attributable to service. Help for Heroes is also involved with sports recovery, helping injured ex-forces personnel into sport and exercise to aid in their rehabilitation.

Andy said: “Help For Heroes has also been a great support and one avenue many people may not be aware of. I am currently involved in its sport recovery aspect and Michelle and I are helping to raise much-needed funds for them. We have just completed a charity Ironman and I have applied to take on a 300 mile Arch to Arc challenge, which is an 87 mile run, followed by swimming the English Channel and then cycling for 87 miles!

“I wanted to speak out and share my story to try and help others who may be suffering from PTSD and aren’t aware of it or how they can get help. It is something that may creep up on you without you realising and turn your life upside down. But there are things that can help. I would recommend exercise; it may not work for everyone but it helped me to release tension and feel calm. I would also recommend talking about it, no matter how much you may want to suppress the feelings, it really does help.”

British Military Fitness, a preferred supplier to the Career Transition Partnership, offers various employment opportunities for service leavers, as well as a wide range of qualifications recognised by the awarding body Central YMCA Qualifications (CYQ) and endorsed by the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs). The BMF Academy is committed to supporting service leavers as they pursue a new career, allowing them to step into employment following training. To find out more, please visit: www.bmf.academy.